Idiyappam/Nool Puttu/String Hopper

Idiyappam/Nool Puttu/String Hopper

Idiyappam is a common breakfast dish in Kerala and Tamilnadu. It is made of rice flour and is a very healthy breakfast as it is steamed cooked.

Ingredients and Measurements needed

•    1 Cup-Idiyappam flour(Roasted Rice flour)( homemade or store bought)
  
•    1-11/2 cup-Water - approximately
•    1 tsp-Oil 
  
•    Salt as required
•    1/2 Cup Grated coconut
  

Required

• Idiyappam Maker
  
• Idli steamer/Idiyappam Steamer
  

Method

1. Boil water in a pan, add salt and oil to it. Switch off the  flame.
2. Add  the rice flour little by little to the boiled  water   make a soft dough. Knead it well.
3. Put 1 tsp of grated coconut on the steamer plates and keep it aside.
4. Grease the inside of an Idiyappam maker with oil and fill it with the prepared dough and press it  in a circular motion on steamer plate in the form of long strings.
5. Now top it up with little grated coconut.
6. Put the steamer plates on the steamer.
7. Steam it for 10-15 minutes. 

Idiyappam is ready. It can be served as such with potato stew ,vegetable stew, Kadala curry or any gravy of your choice.

Appam

Appam

Appam is one of Kerala’s favorite breakfast dishes. These are paper thin crepes with a lacy edge and spongy centers cooked in a curved pan.It is served mostly with potato or Vegetable stew or kadala curry. Traditionally appams are fermented with toddy which is a local alcoholic drink made from from palm flower or coconut flower.Since toddy is not available everywhere easily, dry active yeast works as a good substitute.The appam made with toddy tastes differently than the appams made with yeast.

You can make appam with store bought appam powder also.

Ingredients and Measurements used

• 2 cups regular rice 
  
• 1 cup parboiled rice or Idli rice
  
• a fistful of  cooked rice
  
• 1 cup thick coconut milk
  
• ½ tsp dry active yeast
  
• 2 tsp sugar
• salt as required
• water  as required 
• oil as required

Required

• Appam Pan
  
• Blender

Preparation

1. Rinse well both the rice varieties together.
2. Soak both the regular rice, parboiled rice in water for at least 4 to 5 hours.
3. To Proof the yeast (Take about 2 to 3 tbsp warm water. and add a pinch of sugar and dissolve it. Now add the yeast and stir.Let this solution sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 mins till it becomes bubbly and frothy.)
4. Now drain and then add the soaked rice  to the blender with  coconut milk, cooked rice , salt, sugar and water.
5. Blend all the ingredients to a smooth flowing batter
6. Transfer  the batter to a large bowl or pan.
7. Then add the proofed yeast mixture  to the batter and  stir and mix very well.
8. Cover and keep aside for fermenting for 8 to 12 hours, depending on the temperature conditions.
9. The batter will rise and increase in volume  and  become frothy and fluffy after fermentation.
10. Appam batter is ready

Method

1. Heat  an appam pan with handles in medium flame. 
2. Smear some oil on the pan. (If you are using non stick pan, no need to smear  the oil).
3. Pour a ladle full of the batter into the pan. 
4. Lift the pan from the stove and rotate it so as to make the batter move around as a thin coating inside the pan.
5. Let the excess batter settle in the center.(Don't use laddle to spread the batter)
6. Cover the pan and let the appam cook. 
7. Remove the cooked appam by easing out with a wooden spatula.
8. A perfect appam  should hold its bowl like shape after it is removed from the pan.
9. Repeat the process  for all the appams.
10. Serve the appams hot or warm with Potato stew or vegetable stew or kadala curry.

Dosa

Dosa

Dosa is the most popular South Indian breakfast.The batter preparation is almost same like Idli batter.  For Idli ,we should grind the rice finely to make the batter nice and smooth.But for dosa ,rice need not be grind so smooth.

Ingradients & Measurements Used

For the dosa batter

• 1 cup    urad dal
  

• 3 cups Idli rice  
  
                                                                                                                  
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds  
  
                                                                                                                     
• Water to grind                                                                                                                                
• Salt as needed  

To make dosa

• 4 cups of fermented dosa batter                                                                                              
• 1-1.5 cups of water                                                                                                                   
• 4 tbsp of oil  

Required

• Pan/tawa
  

• Mixer grinder/blender

To Prepare Dosa Batter

Soak the rice and dal separately for 3-4 hours.
Grind dal and fenugeek seeds first into a smooth consistency adding enough water.

Grind rice into a smooth batter by adding just enough water to get it going.

Combine the two, add salt, and let it ferment in a large enough bowl lightly covered, for about 6-8 hours in a warm place.

To make the dosa

Add enough water to the fermented batter until you have a smooth, pouring consistency. 

Make sure the batter is not too watery .

Heat a pan or iron griddle and grease with the oil lightly. Pour about ½ cup batter to the center of the pan.

Using the back of your ladle, gently spread the batter with a circular motion from the center towards the sides of the pan like making pancake.

To make very crispy dosa,  spread it too thin. 

Drizzle about 1 tsp of oil around the edges of the dosa and add a few sprinkles on the top as well.

If your pan is greased adequately and is not sticky, the edge of the dosa will start to come off the pan in about 1 minute or so. 

Use a spatula to gently lift the dosa and flip it over. Cook the other side for another 40 seconds or so and remove from pan.

Serve with  chutney, sambar. 

Koottu Curry

Kootu Curry – Roasted Coconut with Mixed Vegetables & Chickpeas

This is a traditional side dish served with rice.This is another must have dish in vegetarian feast.

Ingredients & Measurements Used

• 1/2 cup-Brown chickpeas-cooked.Soak  1/4 cup of  brown chickpeas overnight or for at least 5 hrs.Pressure cook it by adding water and salt  to taste, until done.
  
• 1/2 cup-Raw plantain-  cubed
  
• 1/2 cup-Elephant foot yam -cubed
  
• 1/4 tsp-Chili powder
  
• 1/2 tsp-Turmeric powder
  
• Salt to taste
• Water- as required

To grind

• 1/2 cup-Grated coconut
  
•  2 small cloves-Garlic 
  
• 1 or 2 -Green chilies
  
• 1/2 tsp-Cumin seeds
  
• 1/4 tsp-Black pepper corn
  

For seasoning

• 1/2 tsp-Mustard seeds
  
• 2-3-Dried red chilli
  
• Curry leaves- 20 leaves
  
• 2 tsp-Cococnut Oil
  
• 2 tsp-Coconut pieces(cut  into small pieces)
  

Method

1.Dry roast 1/2 cup grated coconut,cumin seeds and pepper corns in a pan 

   over medium flame,stirring continuously until coconut turns brown.

2.Now grind roasted coconut mixture,garlic, and green chillies  with a little water to form a coarse paste.Keep aside.

3.In a Saucepan or mud pot,add the cubed plantain, elephant yam ,chili powder,turmeric powder and  water.

4.Cook until it is tender and water is almost absorbed.

5.Now add  the cooked chickpeas ,prepared coconut paste and salt into it .

6.Mix well and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.Remove from heat.

7.Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,let it splutter.Add red chilies and curry leaves and coconut pieces and saute for few seconds until coconut pieces turned brown.

8.Add the tempering into the curry.

9.Transfer the curry into a serving bowl.

Pumpkin and Red Beans Curry

 Pumpkin and Red Beans Curry(Mathanga Erisseri)

Erissery is a good accompaniment with  steamed rice.The consistency of this dish is  thick .

Ingredients & Measurements Used

•  1 cup (diced) Yellow Pumpkin
  
   
•  1/2 cup Red  beans  
  
•  1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 
  
• 1/2 tsp Red chili powder
  
•  Salt to taste
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1-2 (Optional) Shallots 
  
• 3-4 Green Chilies 
  
    
• 1/2 cup Grated Coconut
  
   
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds  
  

For seasoning

• 2-3 Dry Red Chilies 
  
• 6-7 Curry leaves  
  
• 1 tsp grated coconut
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  
   
• 1 tsp Coconut Oil
  

Method

1.  Soak the red beans overnight or for at least 4-5 hours.
2. Cook the beans with enough water, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt in a pot.
3. Add  the pumpkin pieces into it  and cook till the pumpkin turns to soft and tender.
4. Grind grated coconut, cumin seeds, green chilies and shallots with little water to coarse smooth paste .
5.  Add this  coconut paste into the cooking pumpkin and red beans curry and mix well and cook for another 3-4 minutes and switch off the flame.
6.  Heat a tsp of oil in a pan , add mustard seeds, when it starts to splutter, add dry red chilies,grated coconut and curry leaves and saute until coconut becomes golden.
7. Pour this tempering   over the curry and  mix well.
8. Transfer the prepared curry into a serving bowl.

Avial

Aviyal

Aviyal is a traditional side dish served  with rice.It is one of a must have side dish of vegetarian feast in Kerala.
Aviyal  has a unique position in Kerala and Tamil  cusine. It is a mixture of all kind of vegetables except soft and pulpy vegetables.
You can include or exclude a vegetable depending on its availability.

Ingredients and Measurements used

• 1-Raw plantain(Raw banana)
  
• 200gm-Elaphant foot yam
  
• 2-Drumstick
  
• 1-Carrot
  
• 1-Snake guard
  
• 5-7-Long beans
  
• 4-Green chilli
  
• 1/4 tsp-turmeric powder
  
• 1 cup-Grated coconut
  
• 1/2 tsp-cumin seeds
  
• 4-shallots
  
  
  
• 12-curry leaves
  
• 1/2 cup-curd
  
• 1 tsp-coconut oil 
  
• 11/2 cup-water
• salt to taste

Method


1.Wash the vegetables .Cut it into julienne with 2 inch length.

2.Slice Green chillies lengthwise.

3.Cook vegetables in a covered pot by adding green chillies,turmeric powder,salt,curry leaves and water on a low flame until all the vegetables become tender and dry.(Don't overcook it ).
Each vegetables  need different time for cooking.It is better to put vegetables with longer cooking time first and quicker ones last.

4.While the vegetables cook, grind the grated coconut,cumin seeds,shallots with a little amount of water into a coarse paste.

5.Add the coconut paste into the cooked vegetables and  carefully mix well .

6.Let that cook for 2-3 minutes in low flame and switch off the flame.

7.Wait until the curry cools down little bit.

8.Now add the yogurt and mix well.

9.Add the  coconut oil  and close the lid and keep for 2 minutes .


10.Transfer the dish into a serving bowl.